The Church Thread: Chapter I Verse I

[crimsonaudio]

I'm afraid my latent redneck DNA would kick in pretty quickly if this guy tried this with my kids.

When my 22 yr old's ex-bf refused to get out of her car, my wife had to step in because I was probably going to jail once I got finished with him. I don't countenance anyone messing with my family.

There are some things worth going to jail for.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

When someone is manipulative and charming even good people can be fooled quite easily. I dealt with it a few years ago at my church. We had a staff member that was living a double life. When things began to not add up and we in leadership started asking questions we were made out to be the villains. This person had developed a relatively small but loud cult of personality. When they were fired after more things came to light that were in direct violation of their employment contract we had to clean up the mess they left behind. It reminds me very much of the story above.

This will probably only resonate with UMC and, possibly, Roman Catholics, but for five years at one church, I served as chair of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. It's present in all United Methodist churches, sometimes with the name slightly changed. This committee is the destination for all complaints about all church personnel. Now, as UMC know, our church is episcopally-organized, not congregationally. Because of the growth of the HSV and the church location, roughly 85% of the congregation came from various congregational backgrounds. My problem was that they, particularly the habitual complainers, wanted to vote on all little minutiae, especially the pastor's tenure. I couldn't convince them they had no say-so in the matter. The congregation was largely engineers and the like, mostly non-southerners, a lot of whom didn't really want to be living in the South, anyway. The pastor was controversial. He was folksy, perfect for the South, with down-home anecdotes in his sermons, all with a spiritual point. If you're familiar with his writings, think Sean Dietrich. This didn't go over with the northern congregationalists at all, who wanted more intellectual sermons. We didn't have any scams that I know of, but a nearby UMC church had a pastor whose behavior caused the bishop to send him off to a parish in NC for a number of years...

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I'm afraid my latent redneck DNA would kick in pretty quickly if this guy tried this with my kids.

When my 22 yr old's ex-bf refused to get out of her car, my wife had to step in because I was probably going to jail once I got finished with him. I don't countenance anyone messing with my family.

Yeah, mess with my family and what the law is really doesn't matter to me.

 

[Its On A Slab]

There are some things worth going to jail for.

I am a very calm person, but my can-of-woopass meter pings red alert when someone puts my family in danger. I think the kid saw the "I-will-kill-you" in my eyes. He got out of the car pretty quick.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

This will probably only resonate with UMC and, possibly, Roman Catholics, but for five years at one church, I served as chair of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. It's present in all United Methodist churches, sometimes with the name slightly changed. This committee is the destination for all complaints about all church personnel. Now, as UMC know, our church is episcopally-organized, not congregationally. Because of the growth of the HSV and the church location, roughly 85% of the congregation came from various congregational backgrounds. My problem was that they, particularly the habitual complainers, wanted to vote on all little minutiae, especially the pastor's tenure. I couldn't convince them they had no say-so in the matter. The congregation was largely engineers and the like, mostly non-southerners, a lot of whom didn't really want to be living in the South, anyway. The pastor was controversial. He was folksy, perfect for the South, with down-home anecdotes in his sermons, all with a spiritual point. If you're familiar with his writings, think Sean Dietrich. This didn't go over with the northern congregationalists at all, who wanted more intellectual sermons. We didn't have any scams that I know of, but a nearby UMC church had a pastor whose behavior caused the bishop to send him off to a parish in NC for a number of years...

This is all too familiar. Every parish will have busybodies who feel entitled to have their opinions taken more seriously than others. The thing that blows me away, though, is that there are options not taken. If someone don't like his or her pastor or the song-leader or whatever, simply find one they like better. But no, we don't do that sort of thing in this country; everything has to be bent to our will. One sees this ass-hattery in politics as well.

And if you can't find EXACTLY what you want, well, then do what a lot of others have done: start your own church. This has been a very popular option since the 16th century and has become a big part of American culture. Our salad bar approach to church has, IMO, gotten a little out of hand, but whatever works. I gotta tell you, I do NOT envy your decision to chair that committee, but I respect your willingness to do it. I just don't have the patience for that sort of thing.

 

[Its On A Slab]

This is all too familiar. Every parish will have busybodies who feel entitled to have their opinions taken more seriously than others. The thing that blows me away, though, is that there are options not taken. If someone don't like his or her pastor or the song-leader or whatever, simply find one they like better. But no, we don't do that sort of thing in this country; everything has to be bent to our will. One sees this ass-hattery in politics as well.

And if you can't find EXACTLY what you want, well, then do what a lot of others have done: start your own church. This has been a very popular option since the 16th century and has become a big part of American culture. Our salad bar approach to church has, IMO, gotten a little out of hand, but whatever works. I gotta tell you, I do NOT envy your decision to chair that committee, but I respect your willingness to do it. I just don't have the patience for that sort of thing.

We had a kid at my high school whose parents were in the Klan. The kid would come to school on Mondays bragging about "burning down N-word churches".

I lost track of him over the years. Finally found him on Facebook. He's an Episcopal minister in Blue Ridge, GA, one of the biggest areas of white supremacist activities. His sister lives in Murphy, NC.....Eric Rudolph territory.

I always felt like these two were products of an awful home life, parents who instilled that kind of hatred.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

I always felt like these two were products of an awful home life, parents who instilled that kind of hatred.

No question about it. That level of ignorance and hate has to be learned; children aren't born with that sort of thing.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

This is all too familiar. Every parish will have busybodies who feel entitled to have their opinions taken more seriously than others. The thing that blows me away, though, is that there are options not taken. If someone don't like his or her pastor or the song-leader or whatever, simply find one they like better. But no, we don't do that sort of thing in this country; everything has to be bent to our will. One sees this ass-hattery in politics as well.

And if you can't find EXACTLY what you want, well, then do what a lot of others have done: start your own church. This has been a very popular option since the 16th century and has become a big part of American culture. Our salad bar approach to church has, IMO, gotten a little out of hand, but whatever works. I gotta tell you, I do NOT envy your decision to chair that committee, but I respect your willingness to do it. I just don't have the patience for that sort of thing.

In the UMC, you can't just "get another pastor," any more than you can in the Catholic church. You accept who the bishop sends you. If you can't make peace with that, then you don't belong in the UMC. I've been guilty of simply moving to another UMC, when it became obvious that the present pastor was there for the long haul. My point was that I had members who thought they could change the institutional church, when they should have voted with their feet and moved to a congregational-type church...

 

[CrimsonJazz]

In the UMC, you can't just "get another pastor," any more than you can in the Catholic church. You accept who the bishop sends you. If you can't make peace with that, then you don't belong in the UMC. I've been guilty of simply moving to another UMC, when it became obvious that the present pastor was there for the long haul. My point was that I had members who thought they could change the institutional church, when they should have voted with their feet and moved to a congregational-type church...

Yes, and I am in total agreement. That's why I say, don't like it, move. Goodness knows, I know many people who attend church outside of their parish because they don't like the priest. I don't know why so many people feel like this is not an option.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Yes, and I am in total agreement. That's why I say, don't like it, move. Goodness knows, I know many people who attend church outside of their parish because they don't like the priest. I don't know why so many people feel like this is not an option.

I'm not familiar with that part of the Roman Catholic Church, but I had one friend who told me she was required to attend a church closer to her residence than the one downtown, where she had many ties and loved the priest. That was years ago, though...

 

[PaulD]

In the UMC, you can't just "get another pastor," any more than you can in the Catholic church. You accept who the bishop sends you. If you can't make peace with that, then you don't belong in the UMC. I've been guilty of simply moving to another UMC, when it became obvious that the present pastor was there for the long haul. My point was that I had members who thought they could change the institutional church, when they should have voted with their feet and moved to a congregational-type church...

In the Episcopal Church, you can call a priest, but only after they are approved by the Bishop with lots of background checks. The Bishop has the power to remove a priest from a parish as well.

As a lay minister, I just had to take my refresher (every three years) training in Safeguarding God's Children to show signs that a child is being abused, tricks abusers use, how to avoid being considered an abuser yourself, and legal requirements to report abuse to the Diocese and the State. I always feel like I need a shower afterwards, especially after the jail interviews with abusers.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

In the Episcopal Church, you can call a priest, but only after they are approved by the Bishop with lots of background checks. The Bishop has the power to remove a priest from a parish as well.

As a lay minister, I just had to take my refresher (every three years) training in Safeguarding God's Children to show signs that a child is being abused, tricks abusers use, how to avoid being considered an abuser yourself, and legal requirements to report abuse to the Diocese and the State. I always feel like I need a shower afterwards, especially after the jail interviews with abusers.

Of course, in the UMC, there are no "calls." We have a system of District Superintendents, who together are called the "Bishop's Cabinet." Since a bishop can't know all the details of all of the churches in his/her authority, they lean heavily on the recommendations of the DSs. I can just imagine on the abuser interviews. They are the lowest on the totem pole in genpop, and their life expectancies in confinement aren't the greatest. I understand Kohberger already is having his problems in prison. I predict he either kills someone or is killed himself. I wouldn't turn my back on him...

 

[CrimsonJazz]

 

[CrimsonJazz]

Britain's incredible Christian revival: Why young people are returning to church in their droves and putting faith in Christ

Britain’s religious landscape may be undergoing its most significant generational shift in decades

www.gbnews.com

Figures from YouGov’s bi-annual tracker revealed that belief in God among 18 to 24-year-olds has almost tripled in just three-and-a-half years, rising from 16 per cent in August 2021 to 45 per cent in January 2025.

Among 25-49-year-olds, belief has risen more modestly, from 21 per cent to 33 per cent over the same period.

Church attendance figures have also increased, according to two YouGov polls in 2018 and 2024, which showed a 56 per cent growth in UK adults attending church at least once a month.

 

[75thru79]

Britain's incredible Christian revival: Why young people are returning to church in their droves and putting faith in Christ

Britain’s religious landscape may be undergoing its most significant generational shift in decades

www.gbnews.com

 

[CrimsonJazz]

Egypt's land grab threatens the world's oldest Christian monastery

St. Catherine’s Monastery has been continuously inhabited for over 1,500 years. An Egyptian court ruling ended the monastery's longstanding separation from the government.

reason.com

In the sixth century, Christian monks built St. Catherine's Monastery in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The monastery is believed to be located at the very place where God appeared to Moses via a burning bush. Valuable Christian relics are stored at St. Catherine's, among them parts of the Codex Sinaiticus, which contains the oldest complete copy of the New Testament.

Since its inception, the monastery has never been destroyed, but recent efforts by the Egyptian government could effectively end St. Catherine's independence and inhibit the religious freedom of its monks.